severe , persistant scrotal swelling after inguinal hernia surgery

o.O ?

David,

Almost 3 weeks after your last post, how is the huge hard 'rock' in your scrotum now ? Back to normal size.

I have just found myself having an inguinal hernia in its earliest stage and is being freaked out.

I need your total advice. A new legal immigrant in New York with no whatever insurance due to advanced age, I am having problems

of locating a reliable and good center/hospital and the cost thereof. Please share with me your personal experiences dealing your case.

That would be helpful and give me ideas.

Thank you.

Paul

I had laprascopic inguinal hernia repair back in July. The surgeon found two small ones. All was good till two weeks ago, i increased the intensity of my core excersises. Since then major swelling/discomfort. Anyone have something similiar 5 months out. Just scar tissue, irritation????????

I'm 44 years old. Had right inguinal hernia repair with mesh on Thursday, 1/7.

I'm an athlete, in very good shape, not overweight, non-smoker, eat well, etc.

Day 1 - Felt great after surgery, later realized it was the local still hanging around my body. Took prescribed Vicoprofin.

Day 2 - the next morning... ouch. Very sore, stiff, hard to stand, pee... bowel movement required great steeling of nerves, but I got through it. Decided against the Vicoprofin - didn't want the buzz of the vicodin - and just alternated 500 mg ibuprofin with 1000 mg tylenol every 2 hours through the day. Took a couple short walks. Walking helped. Tried to breathe and maintain erect posture during walks.

Day 3 - much less pain but swelling and bruising of scrotum and penis increased. black in color and large. was not prepared for it. took first shower and removed the dressing. incision not painful, just some swelling and light red and yellow bruising. more and longer walks, but slow "old man" style walking, drove to the video store (but not in my car with manual transmission). Swollen and discolored balls and penis very disconcerting. Found this forum searching for "Hernia repair swollen scrotum" and it has helped remove some of the stress and worry. I can handle pain, especially when I know there's a reason for it, but I just didn't count on things like my "low hanging fruit" turning into a pair of black oranges and a bruised banana!

Day 4 (today) - Much less soreness and stiffness, but new "stabbling" or "sharp" pain mostly only when standing. Feel it low, like someone's driving a needle up into pubic bone from scrotum. Excruciating at times. Completely "new" and "different" pain from any previously felt. Allieviated the moment I get horizontal, so I'm wondering if it's due to the size and extra weight of my new large testicles pulling on their moorings. Icing my right side over incision and scrotum right now. Took a long walk this morning.

Walking has helped and sometimes it just feels better to be moving around - if I sit too long, I get stiff and stomach muscles feel contracted and painful. The only "problem" with walking is my posture and gait is a little off and I feel muscles (back and hamstrings) compensating, getting crampy or sore.

So, from what I've read here, all of this seems "normal" and recovery time is varied and unpredictable. Biggest "worry" has been swelling and discoloration of scrotum, particularly on right side, and shaft of penis. I have dropped my dosage of ibuprofin, just taking one now every 4-6 hours. I was prepared for pain, but the swelling and bruising on my nuts is unsettling... wasn't prepared to look down and see that. Bummer.

Day 5. Had to take a Vicoprofin last night before bed, was experiencing a great deal of "stabbing" pain which I would actually describe more as a "searing" pain and therefore I'm thinking it's probably rapid healing of tissue that I'm feeling. Swelling of scrotum down a little. There's a "ridge" under the incision which others have described here. Ice has been helpful.

Yesterday, Day 5, was a turning point for me. I took a very slow one hour walk and have felt better ever since. Got on my beach cruiser and rode (SLOWLY) to the park with my daughter. Pain and swelling have diminished, bruising has not but woke up today just feeling better.

Today, Day 6, drove daughter to school and probably going into office for a little while.

Pain is manageable/bearable without meds.

Moderate activity has been key.

This forum has been a great help.

I'm curious after to reading this thread if anyone has encountered the same issues as me. I had a mesh repair on an inguinal hernia over a month ago. And had a relatively good month. Outside of the initial pain and getting used to being laid down for a while I adjusted well and did as the doctor said. Lots of walks, and don't overdue it. The last week I have been more active. The occasional short and easy jog (doctor said this was fine) and no pain or discomfort. Just recently it seems like me hernia has just all of a sudden returned. It is not so much a swollen testicle but more so above the testicle. It hurt like a son of a gun yesterday and the day before, and today ( I have done very little, just a little walking) is seems to be gone. No discoloration or anything, but when it occurred it seemed very similar to what I had before the surgery.

Just wondering if anyone is experiencing this a month out of surgery and if you could possibly just be some kind of fluid that feels very much like my old hernia.

I am trying to get in with my surgeon but he quite busy. My work and livelihood depend on me being physically fit and I am a little concerned that this may be a recurrence.

Thanks for any help.

I had inguinal hernia surgery laproscopic on left side, day 1 post op I started to swell in testicle, black scrotum day 3. Day 4 I newer knew a scrotum could handle such pressure and swelling. I did ice bags 20 min on, 20 minutes off for 4 days. Day 5 the swelling started to go down and better day after day thereafter. Bruising seemed to go away as quickly as it came on. It is day 23 post op and doing fine, still have some testicle discomfort at times, but swelling is almost gone, the cord also seems larger than my right side. I am questioning whether laproscopic is the best route to go since my bellybutton is still sensitive and wearing pants and underware rubs on the incision. Even though walking was quite painful, I feel it helped make me get rid of gas and helped me urinate which was a dribble at a time the first few days. Bowel movement on day 3 post op with help of laxatives. The first 7 days post op is total hell, but I survived. I am still glad I had it done, at least not feeling the hernia pressure and things seem tight down there. The surgeon noted I may feel the mesh when healed after squatting and turning certain ways since it is a foreign object in your groin. The sexual plumbing worked day 10 post op and getting better as time goes on. Hang in there guys, I never had surgery before and really did not know what to expect. Listen to the doctors, do your checkups, take your pain meds for at least 5 days and tylenol thereafter you will be on your way to recovery. I found that pouch type briefs and a jock strap keeps things pushed out and snug and tight, wear the jock over the pouch briefs. In jock straps go a size larger than you think you are, I am a 36 inch waist, purchased mediums and way too tight, go with the large. I am still wearing them on and off, depends what I am doing. If I am walking definitely wear the briefs and jock. Lounging I just wear the pouch briefs. Peace.

I experienced the same thing recently. I was concerned, of course, but the swelling did go down. At the peak, swelling was about the size of large grapefruit. I almost went to the emergency room, but held out for a day and of course saw that it was going down. According to my surgeon, it was to be expected and would only be temporary.

BTW, I had double bilateral inguinal hernias (2 on each side) and did the open surgery under local anesthesia. Surgery was fine. I am now on day 7, walking around, only taking a few pain meds and lots of Ibuprofen, which seemed to help a great deal with the swelling. For me, swelling of the scrotum started around day two and lasted through day 5. I had no idea it could get as big as it did (extra large grapefruit), but it won't last for long and there is no need to panic as it is normal. As has been mentioned throughout this thread, it is very important to wear a jock strap or similar support early on. You'll have to try out different strategies on how to wear the supports as location of incisions in not convenient to a waistband. Also, as mentioned above, wear a size or two larger than you would normally. You'll feel good about yourself when you buy it and it will be a lot more comfortable after the surgery. The support(s) helps with the swelling and the pain, after all gravity is working against you. I found that wearing a support over my normal boxer briefs worked for the best. Almost as important is the use of stool softeners from day one or perhaps even a few days before. You will no doubt experience great pain during your first post-surgery bowel movement if you do not. I never feared going to the bathroom because I started the softeners the day before my surgery and they worked like a champ. Recovery comes fairly quickly, so do hang in there. Day 5 I tried out all of the plumbing, to my wife's amazement, and everything worked fine. I even went back to work for a half day on day 7. Hope this helps someone, reading the forum gave me plenty of good ideas and strategies that I incorporated into my recovery. Cheers.

Hey all: This is my first posting ever on message board but these have been such a lifeline to me post left inguinal repair. I'm on day 8 of recovery and wanted to post about the terrible constipation and what helped me. I was told to take stool softeners and milk of magnesia but all that did was make me bloated and still unable to void. Instead every night before I go to bed I take one stool softener and eat one package of instant oatmeal and it works like a charm by the next a.m. Much more natural without any urge to push which is as you know near impossible and not desired. I had the swelling of testicles and normal pains but every day is a little better than the day before. Good luck to you all in your recovery! Oh yeah as far as testicle pain - my doctor's nurse told me use ice pack with thin cloth over my testicles first 24/48 hours then switch to a wash cloth and wet it in warm water and wrap it around your testicles to reduce swelling and pain - very helpful as well.

My dad folded two white t-shirts under his scrotum, then he used a small fan to cool his wounds. This helped him a lot. Do try it and good luck feeling better.

I'm a 32 year old who had open surgery with mess for a right inguinal hernia.

Day 1 (Friday) - Surgery for the most part went as expected in the out-patient surgery center at 11 am and home by 2:30 pm. Tried to urinate shortly after getting home and it wasn't too bad until I decided to look at the damage. When I pulled down the pants, I thought "what the h***?" It looked like the hernia was still there, but was now accompanied by a 4 inch incision." I called the doc and he said it was completely normal. Said it was the draining fluid and would be there a while.

For the rest of the day, I was on Percocet and liqui-gel Advil. I only got up to take a leak and that was enough!! shooting pain had me doubled over. My lazyboy recliner was my only hope.

Day 2 - I woke up feeling a little better. Went to take my morning leak and noticed I was carrying a grapefruit in my scrotum. No bruising...just a sac that belonged on an elephant. Doctor said "swelling" -- this was way beyond swelling. Instead of freaking out, I did a little research and found out this problem is pretty typical. Now I am just worrying how long it will take for the swelling to completely go away--6 weeks??6 months??.

Urinating went much better on day 2 . I seemed to have a normal appetite, but no bowel movement yet. Advil and Percocet still helping with the pain. I tried to walk a little, using a kitchen chair as a walker. Still getting some shooting pains near my incision, but feeling better than the previous night.

Day 3 - There's light at the end of the tunnel! i was able to walk around unassisted. Changed my clothes...fixed my own breakfast. Down to 3 percocets/day and Advil for the swelling. Frozen peas are helping with my grapefruit-sac....I don't think its reducing in size, but it's not nearly as uncomfortable. I still haven't had a bowel movement, but that's typical for my body following a major disruption. Planning on Fiber One bars and coffee to make the deed a little more tolerable.

Took off my bandage and my incision looks pretty good. The shooting pains are less frequent. Oh...one more thing I put on briefs instead of boxers, and they are making a world of difference. Will keep you posted about the swelling.

I just had surgery last Friday for a direct inguinal hernia and my right testicle is swollen and it seems to be hard on some spots. My doctor just blew it off, but im not so sure. Any ideas??

I had open surgery for a very large right inguinal hernia on 1/13/10. I had swollen and purple testicles for at least 2 weeks after surgery. I also had a couple of hard spots in the scrotum area. My surgeon said it was normal. The hard spots are fluid that has moved down from the surgery area. Goes away after a couple of months. Its been 3 months now and I still have one small hard spot but it keeps getting smaller every day. I'm almost totally healed up. Feel good.

I had this issue as well after having inguinal laparoscopic hernia repair. I had a testicle size lump near top of scrotum. It grew slowly for three weeks following surgery. After the third week it started to rapidly decrease in size and after 6-7 weeks it was completely gone. Started lite exercise about a week after surgery and slowly built up. Its been about 2 months now and I’m at 100%. Well worth the pain and effort and a huge quality of life improvement.